OTA - Leadership

Advancing Organic: Reflecting on 2024 and Gearing Up for 2025

icardozo — Mon, 16 Dec 2024 14:45:15 +0000

December 16, 2024

The end of a year and the beginning of a new one – a time for the Organic Trade Association to reflect on our successes during the past 12 months, and this year more than ever, to look ahead at the challenges in store for all of us.

Our association started 2024 with an eye on the future and the introduction of the expanded leadership team of co-CEOs Tom Chapman and Matthew Dillon. With collectively more than four decades of experience in organic across the industry, these two organic champions have truly been dynamic collaborators who have ensured that the trade association is well positioned to support the continued growth and improvement of the evolving organic sector.

The American organic sector is bigger than ever. U.S. sales of certified organic products are at record levels, even as inflation has pressured consumers. OTA’s 2024 Organic Industry Survey reported that organic sales closed in on the $70 billion mark in 2023, a new high for organic. Consumers are clear-eyed about their priorities in the products they chose for themselves and their families, valuing health and sustainability, and seeking out the USDA Organic label.

And there’s more good news. We partnered with Euromonitor International in a survey of around 1,200 folks across the country to see what today’s consumers think about organic, and the findings show a deep trust for the USDA Organic seal. The Organic seal is trusted by 70 percent of consumers – the most trusted of any agricultural label, and the second-most trusted food label existing, second only to the American Heart Association’s iconic checkmark.

Our trade association is working hard to help our organic producers and businesses gain new markets, both in the U.S. and around the world. We’ve been awarded new grants from the USDA to deepen consumers’ understanding of all of organic’s scientifically proven benefits and enlarge organic markets at home. Our international trade team secured record funding to help organic exporters promote their products globally.

Our membership has shown their commitment to organic like never before. During the year, 240 of our members volunteered their time to take part in 45 meetings of member councils, task forces and forums. Our Advocacy Day in May – our annual member-wide fly-in to DC to advocate for organic – saw 148 of our organic champion members meeting on Capitol Hill with 161 congressional offices, including face-to-face meetings with 30 members of Congress.

Looking ahead – challenges and opportunities

We all know that we’re entering a new political landscape in 2025. Organic has lost some important champions on Capitol Hill and in the administration. Incoming members of Congress and policy makers will need to be educated about the many benefits of organic, and of the need to provide the support necessary for organic to expand. The Organic Trade Association has been preparing and strategizing on the most effective ways to advocate for organic in this new climate, and we are up to the task.

It’s often said that elections have consequences. But elections also provide opportunities, and, for the organic community, the opportunity to engage with lawmakers and policy makers and advocate for organic has never been greater. We look forward to collaborating with our members to continue organic’s forward trajectory.

2025 will mark an important milestone for this association. It will be the 40th anniversary of the formation of the Organic Trade Association. When we were first formed in February of 1985, we were called the Organic Foods Association of North American or OFPANA. OFPANA was changed to OTA later that year. Much has changed since then.

We were created to be an organic association that could advocate for its members and develop a set of unified guidelines for organic standards. We wrote the benchmark “Guidelines for the Organic Food Industry” which helped set the groundwork for the Organic Foods Production Act in 1990 and ultimately the publication of the National Organic Standards by USDA in 2000.

We’ve never stopped fighting for the organic industry in 40 years, and we’re not going to stop now. We’re just getting started. With your help in the coming year, organic will continue to progress, enriching the health of our environment and our people.

A Happy New Year to All. Together we grow Organic.

Tracy Favre, Board of Directors President, Organic Trade Association

The Organic Center and OTA Represent the U.S. at IFOAM’s Organic World Congress in Taiwan

mparker — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 02:41:38 +0000

December 10, 2024

Repost from The Organic Center.

The Organic Center and The Organic Trade Association (OTA) were honored to join the 21st IFOAM - Organics International’s Organic World Congress held in Chiayi County, Taiwan on November 30 – December 6. The Organic World Congress is a global gathering of organic farmers, researchers, businesses, trade groups, civil society, and other stakeholders. These passionate voices unite around a shared vision: making organic the foundation of agriculture worldwide.

The Organic Center’s Director of Science Programs Dr. Amber Sciligo and OTA co-CEO Tom Chapman represented the eponymous organizations at the Congress.

Host country Taiwan is the fourth largest export market for American organic products. Taiwan demonstrates how international cooperation fosters resilience for farmers, enhances environmental sustainability, and provides its people with healthy, delicious, and nutritious choices.

DAY 1

The first day of the World Congress began Monday with Dr. Sciligo of The Organic Center delivering an inspiring keynote “Cultivating Organic Solutions for True Sustainability,” which highlighted U.S. efforts to amplify the positive message of organic.

OTA co-CEO Chapman participated in a pre-conference session co-organized by Eduardo Cuoco from IFOAM Organics Europe and Mariano Serratore at ICEA Istituto Certificazioni Etiche e Ambientali to explore how organic systems can thrive in a metrics-driven world. Organic leaders like Andrew Smith, PhD (Rodale Institute), Paul Alvarez (Regenerative Organic Alliance), and Paul Holmbeck (IFOAM - Organics International), as well as leaders from around the globe, delved into current sustainability trends and strategies to elevate organic’s profile.

With introspection, humility, and reflection, the Congress explored how organic’s holistic approach—rooted in true cost accounting—can be integrated into broader sustainability conversations. By addressing the complexities of interconnected metrics, we aim to ensure that sustainability efforts are impactful, enduring, and rise above fleeting buzzwords. Together, the Congress embraces the challenge of crafting lasting solutions to agriculture’s most pressing issues.

DAY 2

Dr. Sciligo showcased The Organic Center's cutting-edge research projects that deliver on farmer-driven priorities. These initiatives tackle real-world challenges, helping American organic farmers thrive by applying solutions directly to challenges in their production operations.

The day was packed with insightful sessions and networking focused on knowledge sharing, best practices, opportunities and challenges in expanding organic markets, as well as policies to scale organic agriculture globally.

Chapman shared updates on the new USDA National Organic Program (Agricultural Marketing Service)’s producer group certification rules under the Strengthening Organic Enforcement regulations. These rules are critical for supporting small-scale farmers worldwide—producers of crops like cacao, coffee, tea, spices, coconut, cotton, and more.

Chapman was joined during this session by representatives Markus Arbenz from the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL Federica Varini from Naturland, Shailesh Patel from Fairtrade International, Dang Thi Bich Huong of Vietnam Organic. On the agenda was a discussion of the grower group lawsuit, while the Congress engaged with hardworking small producers who could be significantly impacted. Learn more here.

DAY 3

On Day 3, Chapman shared insights on Multiple Pathways to Market Success. He was joined by an incredible panel of global experts from Asia, Africa and Europe, including Raffaele Zanoli, Flávia Moura e Castro, Sylvia Kuria 🇰🇪 Prof. Shih-Hsiung Chen, and Hilke Hartmann.

Dr. Amber Sciligo from The Organic Center was elected to represent North American interests on the board.

Newly elected World Board members were appointed and welcomed including Karen Mapusua, Marco Schlüter, Sarah Compson, Shamika Mone, Boyet Uchida, Mag, Paul Holmbeck, Amber Sciligo, Julia Lernoud, and Bablu.

This team of global leaders brings exceptional expertise and dedication to advancing organic agriculture. Together, they will steer IFOAM-Organics International according to the strategic direction set during the General Assembly, ensuring the organization remains at the forefront of ecological sustainability and innovation. Unfortunately, none of the three candidates from the African continent were elected, resulting in the board being without an African member for the first time in decades. However, at the General Assembly, the membership voted to recommend that the World Board co-opt (add) a member from Africa and work is already underway.

The future looks bright with the new leadership. The next Organic World Congress will take place in the Negros Occidental Province, Philippines in 2027.

Key takeaways from the Organic World Congress include:

Younger generations with growing purchasing power, especially Gen Z and Millennials, are prioritizing and paying for organic products, seeing it as a solution to current challenges.
From the U.S. to Kenya, organic farmers face significant hurdles in getting their products to market, which highlights the critical need for investment in organic supply chains.
Opportunities in trade shows: Global trade shows like BIOFACH play a pivotal role in fostering conversations and enabling market discovery for organic producers. It’s inspiring to see the global organic community united in driving meaningful progress.

By: Megan Parker, Digital Marketing Coordinator

A game-changing year for organic... and challenges ahead

vbatcha — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 18:57:48 +0000

December 21, 2023

As we end this year and begin another, it’s time to reflect on the huge accomplishments of 2023 while also gearing up for more challenges ahead in 2024. First and foremost, I want to say thank you to all of the trade association's members for your unflagging commitment to organic and your hard work to keep pushing organic forward.

This year was a game-changer for the U.S. organic sector. Headlining the year were two hard-fought and historic regulatory victories, each of which will strengthen organic standards, solidify consumer trust in organic and help continue its advancement.

The year kicked off with USDA releasing its long-awaited Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule to stop fraud and protect the integrity of organic. It’s the biggest change to organic regulations since the beginning of the National Organic Program, and it was mandated because of the Organic Trade Association and the organic community’s work in the 2018 Farm Bill.

Then in the fall, the USDA published its long-awaited final Organic Livestock and Poultry Standards (OLPS) regulation, creating clear standards for outdoor access for organic poultry and clarifying animal welfare standards for all organic livestock. Almost 20 years in the making, the final adoption of OLPS is a major win for organic producers, consumers and for all of us who have long advocated for organic to be the comprehensive gold standard.

Our advocacy efforts not only delivered regulations for the organic sector but also organic specific resources and support. USDA coupled its strengthening of organic regulations with a significant infusion of funds for organic producers and projects that push the organic needle forward. We saw USDA roll out a $100 million program, the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP) to help struggling organic dairy farmers. OTA’s Organic Feedstuff Trade Relief Task Force was instrumental in making this happen through its tireless advocacy to Congress and USDA. The vital assistance to our dairy producers came on the heels of USDA’s unveiling last year of its $300 million Organic Transition Initiative (OTI), a groundbreaking multi-agency drive to expand organic ag through increased direct support and technical assistance to farmers and critical investments in the supply chain and market development.

Organic also scored key wins on Capitol Hill. As the debate over the next Farm Bill began, the trade association’s lobbying efforts proved fruitful in getting two important bills introduced in Congress to ensure the continued advancement of organic and to increase targeted market development funds for the organic sector. When the Farm Bill was extended, we were successful in making sure that a handful of critical but vulnerable organic programs were kept alive in that extension.

OTA’s 2023 Organic Industry Survey reported organic food sales in 2022 breaking through $60 billion for the first time, totaling $61.7 billion. Total organic sales – including organic non-food products – were a record $67.6 billion. This growth occurred despite the challenging headwinds of inflation tightening consumer wallets and a jump in the number of competing food labels.

By the numbers

All of these accomplishments were the result of a tremendous amount of behind-the-scenes work by all of you and by your trade association. As we wrap up the year, we want to share with you the numbers:

We had over 300 meetings on Capitol Hill during the year with lawmakers and their staffs.
During Organic Week alone, 118 OTA members participated in 163 meetings on the Hill.
288 members volunteered their time in 2023 to take part in 42 member community meetings, and more than 200 organic stakeholders took a week out of their busy lives to participate in Organic Week.
We held 43 educational events during the year, including 16 webinars, attracting almost 125 participants each on average.
OTA was featured in over 10,000 media stories, radio interviews and blogs and podcasts, including my appearances on CBS and NBC nightly news shows talking about SOE. Those two shows alone have some 12 million viewers.

The work ahead

We have no intention of resting on our laurels in the new year. We will keep pushing organic forward.

In Congress, we’ll continue to make our presence known. The Farm Bill debate is going to intensify next year, and we will not let the organic voice be drowned out by bigger interest groups. We will be engaged in the process and build upon organic’s successes in recent Farm Bills.

Organic needs investment in infrastructure, more funding for research and adequate financial support for organic producers. The growth of organic agriculture in this country still lags that demand, and that imbalance cannot continue.

Consumers need to know organic to value it. We’ll help consumers understand all the benefits of organic – for our environment, our health, our local economies – and work to keep organic the gold standard for sustainable agriculture and healthy food.

With your continued support, we know we can be successful in these critical upcoming fights to support and grow our industry. Organic has always been a community, and in 2024 we will turn to our community even more for inspiration, support and insight.

Together we grow organic.

Tom Chapman

CEO/Executive Director

Organic Trade Association

Get to Know Your Policymakers—Spotlight on Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson

stephanie@llmpubs.com — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 18:23:02 +0000

September 9, 2022

With the 2023 farm bill right around the corner, it’s a good time to get to know the decisionmakers who will have a hand in setting the country’s food and agriculture policy for the next five years.

The farm bill is written and negotiated by the leadership of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees before and after it’s voted on by the full House and Senate. Although there are changes to the bill throughout the process, ultimately the four leaders of the committees are the final decisionmakers who steer the ship. There are some fresh faces in agriculture committee leadership this time around. In fact, of the four leaders involved in the 2018 farm bill, only one remains in Congress, Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow.

Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson from Pennsylvania is the new lead Republican for the House Agriculture Committee. He currently serves as the Ranking Member, but depending on the outcome of the upcoming midterm elections, he could become the Chairman of the committee if Republicans take back the House this November. Regardless, he will play an important role in the next farm bill. Each leader gets to make their mark, so it’s important to understand their background and experience.

Congressman Thompson was first elected to Congress in 2008, representing the 15th district of Pennsylvania. He’s a veteran of the House Agriculture Committee; he served on it for more than a decade and was part of the 2014 and 2018 farm bills. He has taken on various leadership roles throughout his time on the committee, which has earned him the top spot during the 2023 farm bill.

Although he hasn’t said much publicly about his priorities for the upcoming farm bill, the committee is currently collecting feedback from impacted stakeholders, which is the first stage in the process. His perspective will surely be informed by his district. Pennsylvania is one of the most agriculturally diverse states in the country, with a large dairy and poultry industry, grains, specialty crops, organic production, and more. In fact, Pennsylvania currently ranks fourth in the nation for organic production, with more than 1,600 certified farms and businesses and nearly $1 billion in farm gate sales. Congressman Thompson is very familiar with and well-versed in organic, having met with organic stakeholders including OTA members face to face over the years, both in D.C. and back in his district. He has been a supporter of organic research, certification cost-share, and other key priorities. In the 2018 farm bill, he was a cosponsor of the Organic Farmer and Consumer Protection Act, legislation that was included in the final bill. It provided the USDA National Organic Program with resources, authority, and tools to increase oversight of the global organic supply chain to combat fraud and ensure the integrity of the organic label.

Megan DeBates is Vice President of Government Affairs for Organic Trade Association.

This article was originally published in the Fall 2022 Organic Report, you can view the full magazine here.

OTA Welcomes Two New Board Members

stephanie@llmpubs.com — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 15:42:56 +0000

September 9, 2022

In June, OTA announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors, Daniella Velazquez de Leon and Johanna Phillips. The two bring deep expertise and generational experience to the trade association’s board. Here, we get to know them a bit better.

Daniella Velazquez de Leon

General Manager, Organics Unlimited

Daniella is the fourth generation of organic growers in her family and the family’s third generation of organic banana wholesalers.

A San Diego native, she started her career in advertising and dedicated seven years to developing digital marketing solutions when Facebook, Pinterest, and Snapchat’s platforms were in their nascent stages.

In her free time, she helped with the family business and joined Mayra (her mother, Organics Unlimited’s President/CEO, and recent Organic Pioneer award recipient) at industry trade shows. Upon seeing how passionate industry members were about impacting social change, Daniella dedicated herself full-time to the family business. She worked her way through the different departments, learning to drive a forklift to load bananas (admittedly not her forte), coordinated warehouse operations and logistics with the farms, and contributed to marketing efforts.

What drives Daniella is her mission to positively impact our food system. She is a firm advocate for fair pricing for growers and a decentralized food system that prioritizes local, independent farmers. “As organic has gone mainstream, consolidated, and been absorbed by Big Ag, my intention is to continue to live by the values that drove the original movement,” says Daniella. “I do this for our communities, for our environment, and for our future.”

Johanna Phillips

Technical Director, Ecocert USA

Raised on a family ranch in Southern Idaho, Johanna Phillips is passionate about the mission of Organic Trade Association, organic and sustainable practices, agriculture, and the future of the organic sector. She brings more than a decade of regulatory experience in commercial feed, food, and organic certification, and a lifetime of experience in agriculture.

Johanna’s enthusiasm for agriculture started when she was a small child, with participation in 4-H, gardening, and opportunities presented by growing up in a small town surrounded by diverse agriculture and hardworking farmers, ranchers, and dairymen and women. Johanna spent much of her time outdoors with chickens, sheep, cattle, horses, and ducks, or tending her own small garden just outside of her bedroom window. She grew up building fences, helping her father irrigate, working with animals, and learning the challenges faced by families working hard to make a living by growing and raising food. Her childhood instilled not only a love for agriculture, animals, and the planet, but it is also a deeply ingrained perspective that doing the right thing isn’t always easy, but worth the effort.

Her keen interest in agriculture is closely tied to her belief that we can do so much more to support the sustainability and wellbeing of the planet, as well as lifestyles that ensure healthy and safe food is available domestically. She is inspired and driven by a calling to support opportunities for families and businesses to operate sustainably and thrive.

This article was originally published in the Fall 2022 Organic Report, you can view the full magazine here.

Student Member Spotlight—Aliça Diehl

admin — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 20:54:17 +0000

February 28, 2022

With the kickoff of the Organic Trade Association’s new Student Member program, The Organic Report spoke with one of the association’s newest members Aliça Diehl (22), a Master’s of Business Administration candidate at the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business Center for Sustainable Business Practices, to learn more about her perspectives and goals.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m a nerdy nature-lover who gets excited for every mealtime. I studied neuroscience in college, but decided to pursue the more relatable and visceral passion for food I’ve had since I was a kid. At first, I approached that through a personal and community-health lens. More recently, I’ve pivoted to an environmental focus (although the two are certainly interconnected). I’m currently studying the intersection of business and sustainability through an MBA at the University of Oregon. I’m building up business acumen in preparation to be a better change agent for a food system that supports a healthy planet.

When did you first become interested in organic and why?

I became fascinated by nutrition one summer while supporting my father in managing his Type I Diabetes. At first, my approach was all numbers and macronutrients. As I learned more, the importance of sourcing achieved greater significance. Taking such care to make food choices that would help me thrive, it only made sense to make sure that that food wasn’t coming with synthetic inputs that would hamper that goal. In time I recognized that sourcing that’s better for me is also better for the planet. Organic practices and certification help me make decisions that align with that win-win scenario.

How will you apply what you have learned about business and sustainability once you graduate?

When I finish my MBA in June, I’m excited to dive back into the food system, and a role with “sustainability” in the title really appeals to me. I want my professional time to be devoted to transforming our food system into one that’s viable to sustain. Once I complete my MBA program, I’d like to work with existing food businesses, internally or as a consultant, to help guide their transformation to practices that are better for our planet and its people. That can take a lot of different forms, and the inherent variety and need for creativity will get me going.

What do you see as the biggest opportunity for organic?

Organic feels to me like the ‘big sister’ of sustainability in the food system. She’s worked hard to build the success she has, and now I’d love to see her leverage that success and experience to support some of her younger siblings. Mitigating the planetary crisis we’ve gotten ourselves into will take unprecedented collective action. Working together and offering our different strengths towards our common goal are organic’s biggest opportunity.

What is holding us back?

Accessibility—on the eater side and the grower side. Before I stepped into the food business world, I spent several years with non-profits as a healthy-eating educator in communities facing disproportionate barriers to healthy food access. The role wore me down because the best I could do was help people navigate a food system that wasn’t built for them or the planet to thrive. I wanted to talk to them about things like organic, but that kind of food was so inaccessible that the point felt moot. There are parallel struggles on the grower side—farmers for whom the transition to organic certification is prohibitively expensive. This is one symptom of larger ailing systems more than it’s an error of organic, but this lack of accessibility holds us back.

Who or what do you look to for inspiration, and why?

I’ve always been inspired by the sensory experiences that our planet offers—the vibrancy of a sunset, the smell of forest air, the feel of an ocean wave washing over me. More recently, I’m inspired by the interconnectivity and brilliance of our planet’s systems. There are amazing frameworks there for us to emulate and so much wisdom for us to learn from.

What fuels you? What are your passions outside work and study?

Play and time outdoors fuel me (bonus points for both at the same time). I wish I could play beach volleyball every single day, and I’m starting to learn to play tennis. I love swimming in the ocean and feel serenely centered after a hike. Cooking is a favorite hobby too, when I have time to relax and really enjoy it. I’m always looking for opportunities to exercise creative expression, and of late, I’ve done that through dance, drawing, and fiber arts.

This article was originally published in the Spring 2022 Organic Report, you can view the full magazine here.

Three Congressional Champions of Organic Announce Retirement

admin — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 20:34:56 +0000

February 28, 2022

The last couple of years have been challenging, to say the least. And in Washington, D.C., things have been no different. As many people reevaluate their lives and reflect on what is most important to them, three giants in U.S. Congress who have led support for the organic sector have decided it is finally time to hang up their hats.

Collectively they represent 108 years of public service in the U.S House of Representatives and Senate. Two of them—Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-OR)—were the original authors of the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) signed into law in 1990 to create federal standards for the burgeoning organic agriculture movement, now a more than $62 billion a year industry. DeFazio and Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) who also announced he won’t be seeking reelection in 2022, founded and co-chaired the House Organic Caucus, a group of bipartisan lawmakers dedicated to promoting the organic sector that now counts more than 50 representatives in their roster.

A legacy like no other

Known as the “Grandfather of Organic,” Senator Patrick Leahy was Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture during the development of the 1990 farm bill. He introduced and championed the OFPA, ensuring its inclusion in the farm bill, no easy feat given the staunch opposition from the conventional agriculture community and members of Congress who represented them. After the bill was signed into law, Senator Leahy fought fiercely for its implementation, and to this day has advocated for robust federal funding and support of the organic sector. He has been a true friend of organic farmers in his great state of Vermont and across the nation.

Punching above your weight

If Leahy is known as the Grandfather of Organic, then Congressman Peter DeFazio from Oregon might be dubbed “the Godfather of Organic.” When OFPA passed the Senate, Leahy had to find a champion to carry it across the finish line in the House, an even more insurmountable challenge than the Senate because of fierce opposition from both the leadership and rank and file at the House Agriculture Committee. DeFazio volunteered for the thankless task. Fiery and passionate, he was willing to stick his neck out despite being a junior member of Congress with only one term under his belt and having never served on the Agriculture Committee.

Not surprisingly, when the Farm Bill passed out of the House Agriculture Committee, it did not include OFPA. Not one to back down from a challenge, DeFazio said he’d offer the bill as an amendment during the floor debate, a highly risky endeavor given that both the Chair and Ranking member of the Committee opposed the amendment. To everyone’s shock, the amendment was adopted with a final vote of 234-189, ensuring that OFPA would become the law of the land and kickstarting the development of the National Organic Program. DeFazio has remained a steadfast champion of organic agriculture over his long career, founding the House Organic Caucus in 2003.

Defender of Family Farms

Much more than just a cheese head, Congressman Ron Kind from Wisconsin came to Congress determined to save the small family dairy farm. After the farm crisis of the 1980s ripped apart the fabric of many rural communities across the Midwest, Kind became a staunch defender of supporting the little guys. A native of La Crosse, he also represented the world’s largest organic farming cooperative, Organic Valley. Along with DeFazio, he co-chaired the House Organic Caucus for more than a decade.

In addition to his support for organic agriculture, Kind was one of the first farm state lawmakers to advocate for reforming our nation’s broken agriculture subsidy system that unfairly propped up large agribusiness and cash crops at the expense of family farmers. He was the loudest Congressional critic of crop insurance policies and direct cash payments that flowed to a handful, and successfully fought to eliminate harmful programs and reimagine the federal support system for American farms.

A new generation of leaders

The retirement of these public servants who were early supporters of organic mirrors what is happening in the sector overall, where some of the original founders of the organic movement are also retiring. The loss of these giants and their knowledge no doubt will have an impact, but it also presents the movement with a critical opportunity to pass the baton to a new, more diverse generation of leaders.

There’s a new crop of young, passionate Congressmembers who have seen the benefits organic brings to their communities. Many of them are devoted consumers of organic themselves and are raising their kids on organic food. Let’s seize on this opportunity and enthusiasm to bring organic into the future. We’ve come a long way, but in reality, we’re just getting started.

Megan DeBates is Vice President of Government Affairs at the Organic Trade Association.

This article was originally published in the Spring 2022 Organic Report, you can view the full magazine here.

Longtime Leaders Join Team Organic at USDA

admin — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 01:26:43 +0000

February 22, 2022

American consumers are more focused now than ever before on the healthfulness and environmental impact of their purchases. As the historic leader in health and environmental sustainability, the organic industry has a unique opportunity to fundamentally shift the food and farm landscape. To transform opportunity into reality, the industry will need support from our partners on Capitol Hill, especially the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Organic Trade Association (OTA) recently spoke to two long-time leaders in organic—who now serve in key positions at USDA—about their vision for the future of the industry: Jenny Lester Moffitt, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, and Marni Karlin, Senior Advisor, Organic and Emerging Markets.

INTRODUCTIONS

Jenny Lester Moffitt grew up in California on her family’s walnut farm, which transitioned to organic in 1989 and became certified in 1992. At the time, the organic industry was still incredibly small—there were few other organic farmers from whom to learn and no processors for organic nuts in the area. Jenny spent her youth helping the family navigate partnerships with other local farms, Resource Conservation Districts, Cooperative Extension, and USDA agencies. She even spent some of her school breaks at the helm of the family fax machine, reaching out to USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service to find lists of potential buyers and shipping out samples across the globe. Having gained such deep experience at such a young age, it’s no wonder that Jenny went on to run the family farm, high-level positions with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), and eventually landed at USDA.

“For me, a big takeaway from that life was understanding there’s not one silver bullet,” says Moffitt. “We really have to take a whole systems approach; we need to look at how everything ties together. That connectivity, I take it into all the work that I do, including policy making.”

Jenny started with CDFA in 2015 and served as Under Secretary from 2018–2021. While there, she spearheaded the development of California’s Climate Smart Agriculture programs, which include water, land conservation, and soil initiatives. Together, these programs provide resources for California’s farmers, ranchers, and tribes to enhance the sustainability of their operations, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and store carbon in soils and trees.

“When I came in [to CDFA], we’d just announced the healthy soils initiative and grew it into something really incredible,” says Jenny. “We went from not even talking about ‘climate smart’ to investing over one billion dollars in climate smart agriculture across the state over the course of my tenure.”

In 2021, Jenny was confirmed as Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the United States Department of Agriculture, the first woman to serve in the position. Jenny describes three key items on her agenda as Under Secretary:

Enhancing local and regional supply chains by expanding local processing capacity and creating open and transparent markets for greater fairness.
Ensuring fairness and equity by ensuring that producers to have access to USDA and that consumers can make educated buying decisions.
Continuing to elevate and integrate organic into more areas of USDA because of all the great work being done by organic producers.

Marni Karlin is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, whose head for law and the regulatory world is balanced by a heart and soul that relish good food and cooking. Marni graduated from The George Washington University with a degree in International Economics, received her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, and holds a Culinary Arts diploma from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, France. She has traveled the nation and the world gaining years of experience in law, policy, and organic food systems.

Marni’s experience in the organic sector runs deep. She previously served as OTA’s Vice President of Government Affairs and General Counsel, where she represented the interests of the organic food, fiber, and agriculture sector in Washington, D.C. She has also done significant consulting work with stakeholders across the organic supply chain, and served as the North American representative on the International Working Group on Global Organic Textile Standard. In the emerging markets space, Marni was the founding Executive Director of the CEA Food Safety Coalition, a trade association of controlled environment grown leafy greens sector stakeholders.

In 2021, Marni joined USDA as Senior Advisor, Organic and Emerging Markets, where she supports the Secretary by directly relaying trends, needs, and opportunities in the sector.

“I work in partnership throughout the Department, making sure my colleagues have a good understanding of organic issues and industry stakeholders,” says Marni. “I really view my ability to do my job well as dependent on my ability to engage with stakeholders and talk with farmers and those along the supply chain. What we’re doing at USDA needs to reflect the realities that folks are living on the ground.”

ORGANIC BY THE NUMBERS

U.S. organic sales soared to a new high in 2020, jumping by over 12% to a record-setting $61.9 billion in annual sales according to OTA’s 2021 Organic Industry Survey. Growth continued in 2021, with organic food capturing nearly 6% of total U.S. food sales and non-food organic sales jumping by roughly 9% to $5.4 billion in annual sales.

As the coronavirus pandemic continued into 2021, the organic industry witnessed a notable rise in consumers who wanted to prepare healthy meals at home—including an increased interest in trying new foods or methods of cooking, such as bread baking. Selection of organic grocery staples, both fresh and prepared products, sharply rose as personal and environmental health moved to the forefront of consumers’ minds. While pantry stocking was the main growth driver over this period, every sector saw strong gains. Sales of organic flours and baking ingredients grew by 30%, sauces and spices pushed the $2.4 billion condiments category to a growth rate of 31%, organic meat, poultry, and fish sales rose by roughly 25%, and organic spice sales increased by an impressive 51% (triple their 2019 growth rate). Organic fruit and vegetables performed especially well, representing 15% of all retail produce sales in 2021 and are expected to push past 50% by 2030.

Organic businesses have embraced the opportunities brought by this surge of growth by enhancing customer engagement, expanding product lines to accommodate current dietary trends (e.g., Keto, Paleo), and modernizing brand stories to better highlight organic ingredients and producers. Supply and value chain issues, however, remain concerns. While the pandemic created many opportunities for short-term growth, it has also highlighted—and in many cases exacerbated—the supply chain constraints that limit organic’s long-term growth potential.

GROWING ORGANIC

Despite sales growing by more than double the rate of the overall U.S. food market last year, certified organic acres still only make up less than 1% of all U.S. crop and pastureland. To meet demand and continue transitioning the U.S. to more sustainable production methods, more producers and more acres must transition to organic. One of the best ways to expand the community of organic growers is through continued investment in USDA’s organic certification cost share and transition programs.

In November 2021, USDA announced $20 million in support funds would be made available through the new Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP), part of USDA’s broader Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative. The pandemic intensified the already significant cost burden undertaken by organic and transitioning producers by choking supply chains and severely hampering reducing labor availability.

Certified and transitioning producers can use OTECP funds to cover certification or annual renewal fees or to help defray the costs of working with professional consultants. Funds can also be used for educational events related to organic production, marketing, and increasing resiliency.

“As we’ve been listening to folks in the industry about what should be in our transition to organic investment, a big thing that we hear is the need for one-to-one farmer support for transitioning producers,” said Jenny. “I remember when my father transitioned to organic in the 1980s, he really relied on support from other farmers to learn where to get seeds, and for growing guidance. That mentorship is critical for helping farmers transition to organic.”

Reducing the barriers to organic certification is critical for continued growth and success. By increasing access to federal support funds facilitating mentorship and learning opportunities, the U.S. can open the doors to a more diverse array of producers from across the country interested in growing organically.

“We’re really excited to think about ways to invest that will be transformational—to not only incentivize producers to enter organic, but ensure that they have the tools and support they need from their peers and across the supply chain,” said Marni. “It’s not just about expanding acres, but also about growing the supply chain so that producers can actually get their product to market.”

In addition to pandemic assistance programs, organic and transitioning producers can also benefit from an array of existing USDA organic initiatives, including USDA’s Organic Transitions Program, Organic Certification Cost Share Program, and the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative.

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

As the USDA Organic seal enters its twenty-second year, the industry is not content to rest on its laurels. Already the most regulated and rigorous agricultural label claim on the market, the organic industry continues to advocate for updates to organic standards, guidelines, and policies to better keep pace with the needs of a changing marketplace and a changing planet.

“We have to allow for change and innovation, and that’s where organic plays such a big role,” says Jenny. “Organic producers have for years been implementing climate smart practices and really leading the way on soil health and environmentally sustainable techniques. There’s an opportunity for all of us to be sharing those practices that work.”

In the past 10 years, industry stakeholders have advanced 20 consensus recommendations for improvements to the organic standards, yet USDA’s National Organic Program has not implemented a single one. By clearing the backlog of the industry consensus recommendations and moving forward on long-delayed rulemakings, USDA can strengthen consumers’ faith in the organic seal and spur growth and innovation within the industry.

Congress can also help by passing the Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards Act, which calls on USDA to develop an action plan for clearing the backlog of NOSB recommendations and creates a system of accountability and transparency for going forward. It will also improve oversight and ensure consistent certification practices and decisions.

“We’ve heard loud and clear from stakeholders that they want to see continuous improvement in the standards,” says Marni. “We’re looking forward to providing some next steps on that front very soon.”

THE FUTURE OF ORGANIC

With the 2023 Farm Bill just around the corner and consumer interest in healthy eating and growing at an all-time high, it’s an exciting time for the organic industry. There will be significant opportunities for organic to become a more engaged, transparent, and equitable industry and community. In closing, Jenny and Marni shared a few thoughts, goals, and aspirations for the future of organic in the years to come.

“I’d encourage USDA and the organic industry to really shine a light on what it means to be organic, the people and the practices behind that label claim,” says Jenny. “Show us rotational grazing, show us the practices that are so vital, but consumers might not yet know about. Talk about the nexus of climate smart practices within organic.”

Jenny also emphasized her focus on ensuring that organic is part of all the dialogues and work being done across USDA, from crop insurance to research programs.

“We need to really integrate organic as part of our nomenclature at USDA so that consumers can recognize it as a key part of American agriculture,” she says.

Marni emphasized the positive impact she sees OTCEP having on existing and transitioning producers, and suggested that organic has a key role to play in widespread adoption of climate smart agricultural practices.

“My hope would be that we as the organic community embrace the opportunity to do the hard work around equity and that we embrace the opportunity to be a shining star on climate work,” says Marni. “In the past, organic has sometimes been perceived as small or on the fringe. I want organic to have a meaningful seat at the table.”

Reana Kovalcik is Director of Public Affairs for the Organic Trade Association.

This article was originally published in the Spring 2022 Organic Report, you can view the full magazine here.

Organic Trade Association Awards Recognize Inspiring Leaders

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 20:27:34 +0000

February 22, 2022

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has been recognizing inspiring and innovative leaders in our industry for over 20 years. In 1997, the first-ever OTA Leadership Award was given to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) for his groundbreaking work in developing the national organic standards and helping to bring the U.S. Department of Agriculture Organic seal to life. Every year since, OTA has recognized a diverse group of leaders whose peers have put them forward for this prestigious award. For 2021, OTA expanded our award categories in recognition of the outstanding work our members have done to help both their neighbors and the organic industry stay strong throughout the COVID pandemic.

In addition to OTA’s historic Organic Pioneer and Organic Farmer of the Year Awards, OTA is recognizing two new categories of leaders through the Community Service and Climate Action awards. Winners, to be honored as part of OTA’s 2022 Organic Week event, include:

Organic Pioneer:

Mayra Velazquez de Leon,

Organics Unlimited
Organic Farmer of the Year:

Amy Bruch,

Cyclone Farms
Community Service:

Cassie Cyphers and

Scott Erickson,

Clif Bar & Company
Climate Action:

Britt Lundgren,

Stonyfield
Posthumous Pioneer:

Amigo Bob Cantisano

These leaders and their efforts motivate and encourage all of us in the organic industry to continue improving and creating a more equitable and sustainable future. Their dedication motivates us to work harder, be more creative in our problem-solving, and to continue to prioritize people and planet above all else.

ORGANIC PIONEER

MAYRA VELAZQUEZ DE LEON

ORGANICS UNLIMITED

Mayra Velazquez de Leon co-founded Organics Unlimited in 2000, but her connection to organic has been with her from the very beginning. Over 50 years ago, Mayra’s father Carlos Cortez became the first commercial organic grower to bring organic bananas to the U.S. Carlos’ bananas were so delicious that customers began asking how on earth he was able to produce such fruits. The secret? Organic production methods, which Carlos had learned from his father, that leveraged local resources and abstained from harmful pesticides or other supplements. That client helped Carlos to expand his organic business, and in 1972, he brought it and his family to the United States.

Led by her love for organic tropical fruit and her pioneering spirit, Mayra worked hard to build on her father’s legacy. With the founding of Organics Unlimited in 2000, Mayra would successfully grow the family business into what is today—the largest family-run organic banana company in the country. Organics Unlimited offers Cavendish bananas, plantains, and coconuts sourced from sustainably operated organic farms across Mexico and Ecuador. In addition to investing in environmental sustainability by growing only organic tropical fruits, Mayra and Organics Unlimited also believe in investing in their workers.

Organics Unlimited launched GROW in 2005 as a social responsibility initiative to help poverty-stricken banana-growing regions in Mexico and Ecuador. Over the past 15 years, GROW has provided nearly $3 million in support for education and health initiatives, micro-businesses and environmental programs, as well as disaster relief efforts. In 2021, Organics Unlimited added a Fair-Trade Certified label to its lineup as an additional way the company could support sustainable prices for farmers and healthy farming communities.

Under Mayra’s direction, Organics Unlimited has grown into a company able to care for its customers and its workers even through the most challenging times.

“These are among the hardest years we’ve encountered due to the international supply chain obstacles and the issue of fair pricing for bananas,” says Mayra. “That being said, the biggest asset that has gotten us through is our community. We are evidence of what is possible when a community comes together and aligns to contribute to a food system that is good for our environment and fair to the people who grow our food.”

OTA is proud to have members like Mayra and Organics Unlimited who see organic not only as a climate-smart agricultural system, but also as a community. A community-centric approach is critical to the growth of not only our association, but of the organic industry at-large.

“We can be crazy enough to change the world,” says Mayra. “Organic is the work of many people leaving their sweat in the ground, investing in natural inputs to protect our environment and our future generations. Being part of OTA is important to the work we do because it gives us a collective voice. We have a community that we can rely on to protect the integrity of the industry and the values of the organic movement.”

ORGANIC FARMER OF THE YEAR

AMY BRUCH

CYCLONE FARMS

The Organic Leadership Award is given to visionaries who have advanced organic by promoting the industry’s climate change mitigation practices, investing in social responsibility initiatives, leading organic transition programs and keeping the organic community safe during COVID-19. Nominated by her peers and unanimously supported by OTA’s Board of Directors, Nebraska’s Amy Bruch of Cyclone Farms is the first female primary-operator to ever receive this honor.

“I am thankful for OTA’s diverse member network, which provides a forum for collaboration and robust conversations on topics that impact the organic sector,” says Amy. “There is strength in numbers, and I am impressed with what has been and will be accomplished.”

Amy has been an organic farmer for nearly a decade now, stepping into a leadership role at Cyclone Farms following the sudden death of her father, Gary. Amy has transformed Cyclone Farms into one of the most cutting-edge organic farms in the nation by leading the transition of nearly 2,500 highly productive acres to organic, and working alongside Neal Kinsey to implement his Kinsey-Albrecht soil health system. Today, Cyclone Farms produces 10 different, high-quality organic crops for human consumption.

Speaking to Nebraska’s York News-Times, Amy says of organic farming, “There isn’t a road map for what we do and there is definitely not an ‘easy’ button… It requires very detailed plans, management, and record keeping, but it has allowed for my husband and I—and our team—to dive deeper into soil balancing, applying new technology, and expanding our team to allow additional opportunities for those interested in agriculture to get involved.”

Amy has not only led Cyclone Farms’ transition to organic, she’s also helping farmers across the country transition through the organic consulting company, Agrisecure. Through Agrisecure, of which Amy is a co-founder, Amy and her team have helped convert over 65,000 acres across 15 states to organic production. Folks report her leadership has set the pace for getting growers through transition and fully certified to organic.

“In farming, there are always variables that we can’t control… and the pandemic has made us even more humble in this regard,” says Amy. “It has pushed us and our farms to be more resourceful and creative. Having the right attitude, maintaining our connections with the organic community despite limited in-person opportunities, and brainstorming plans to succeed together is how we take on the unexpected.”

Thanks to Amy’s leadership, more farmers in Nebraska and across the country have the encouragement and the tools they need to transition their operations to organic and become more resilient through times of crisis.

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

CASSIE CYPHERS & SCOTT ERICKSON

CLIF BAR & COMPANY

When it comes to cultivating community, Clif Bar’s Cassie Cyphers (Senior Sustainable Brand Development Manager) and Scott Erickson (Executive Chef of “Kali’s Kitchen”) believe in going above and beyond. Because of their passion and dedication, both Cassie and Scott are the first honorees to receive OTA’s new Community Service Award.

This award was created to recognize individuals and companies who have gone above and beyond standard business practices to become a source of positivity and stability for customers and organic community members during the COVID pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, Clif Bar has demonstrated compassion and creativity. The company has directed vast resources toward pandemic response efforts, found innovative ways to continue serving customers and community members, and shown care and concern for its employees by enhancing benefits and prioritizing health and safety. Within Clif Bar, Cassie and Scott are on the front lines of these inspirational community service efforts.

“At Clif Bar, serving our community is at the core of who we are as a company. The pandemic has created a critical need to sustain people in our community and we are fortunate to have been able to use our resources to help people in need,” says Cassie. “We are inspired to serve our community and knowing we can make a positive impact on people’s lives makes us want to give even more.”

Recently promoted to Senior Sustainable Brand Development Manager from her former role as Senior Manager, Community Philanthropic Partnerships, Cassie has spent the last several years leading Clif Bar’s community service efforts. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Cassie has been on the frontline of Clif’s community COVID response efforts. Under her leadership, Clif has donated 14 million nutritious bars to first responders and food insecure communities (another 14 million were donated over 2021!), and worked with farmworker-focused non-profit organizations to deploy over $300,000 in PPE to farmworkers across California, where Clif Bar is headquartered. Cassie has been a valued member of the Clif team for over 26 years.

Scott is a Bay-area resident and has been with Clif Bar for 11 years. As Executive Chef for Clif Bar’s employee café, it’s Scott’s job to keep staff fed well. When the pandemic struck, Scott made it his mission to not just feed Clif’s employees, but to also care for his fellow community members. Rather than shut down the café during the pandemic, he kept his staff on and pivoted from providing lunch to in-office staff to making meals for at-risk neighbors by launching the Kali’s Community Kitchen Program. To help him maximize his impact, Scott also partnered with Oakland-based community organization Homies for Empowerment and their FREEdom Store as well as Oakland Unified School District.

“With food insecurity increasing dramatically during the pandemic, one of the many projects our Clif culinary team took on was to pack weekly homecooked meals for 400 hundred volunteers for the Oakland Unified School District,” says Scott. “These meals were made at our headquarters in Emeryville, using ingredients grown right in our Clif garden. Volunteers helped us to manage 22 local food distribution sites, ensuring that students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch were still getting those meals while schools were closed.”

Together, Scott and his partners have provided roughly 300,000 meals to date!

CLIMATE ACTION AWARD

BRITT LUNDGREN

STONYFIELD

Another new honor this year is the Organic Climate Action Award, which recognizes a person or company demonstrating exemplary leadership in advancing organic solutions to mitigate climate change through policy advocacy, farm to business innovation, or engagement. There are few climate advocates more deserving of this award than Britt Lundgren, Director of Organic and Sustainable Agriculture at Stonyfield. Britt leads Stonyfield’s efforts to reduce emissions from agriculture, focusing particularly on improving the sustainability of the dairy sector, and also spearheads the organization’s federal policy advocacy on organic and climate change solutions.

Britt also currently serves as Secretary of the OTA Board, President of the Association’s Dairy Sector Council, co-chair of its Climate Change Task Force, and a member of several other OTA task forces and councils.

“Organic farming systems are leading the way when it comes to developing farming practices that are better for the environment and for fighting climate change,” says Britt. “I’m glad to see conventional agriculture embracing the idea that we need to take action on climate change, but we need to make sure that organic producers—who have been doing the right things all along—are not left behind.”

Over the past five years, a major focus of Britt’s work has been the development, funding, and launch of OpenTEAM—an open-source “smart-farming” platform that hopes to provide farmers and scientists with in-depth knowledge about managing soil health and soil carbon sequestration. OpenTEAM, which stands for Open Technology Ecosystem for Agricultural Management, is a collaborative effort between Stonyfield, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, and Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment. These major food, farm, and climate organizations are working together to deliver quantitative feedback on millions of acres of farmland by 2024, which will help farmers to sequester carbon and promote adaptive soil health management.

“I believe the shared sense that we’re working to make the world a healthier place really helps people feel connected to Stonyfield and the work we are doing,” says Britt. “That shared connection makes us a stronger team, even when we’re coping with the many challenges that have emerged during the pandemic.”

POSTHUMOUS PIONEER AWARD

AMIGO BOB CANTISANO

Last, but certainly not least, OTA recognizes the late Amigo Bob Cantisano for his decades of service to the organic agriculture movement. Amigo, a ninth-generation Californian, came up with a generation of largely urban youth who moved back to the land in the 1970s and began farming as a way to reform the food industry. He was a staunch defender of the environment, farmworker safety, and healthy food, and battled the pesticides industry his entire life. He is considered by many to be the Godfather of California organic agriculture.

OTA is honored to celebrate each of these leaders of the organic industry and to share their stories with our members and with the wider community. Their leadership, work ethic, and impressive achievements serve as guiding lights as we continue to learn, grow, and build community within and beyond the organic industry.

Reana Kovalcik is the Organic Trade Association’s Director of Public Relations.

This article was originally published in the Spring 2022 Organic Report, you can view the full magazine here.

OTA - Leadership

Advancing Organic: Reflecting on 2024 and Gearing Up for 2025

Tracy Favre, Board of Directors President, Organic Trade Association

The Organic Center and OTA Represent the U.S. at IFOAM’s Organic World Congress in Taiwan

Repost from The Organic Center.

By: Megan Parker, Digital Marketing Coordinator

A game-changing year for organic... and challenges ahead

Get to Know Your Policymakers—Spotlight on Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson

OTA Welcomes Two New Board Members

Daniella Velazquez de Leon General Manager, Organics Unlimited

Johanna Phillips Technical Director, Ecocert USA

Student Member Spotlight—Aliça Diehl

Tell us a bit about yourself.

When did you first become interested in organic and why?

How will you apply what you have learned about business and sustainability once you graduate?

What do you see as the biggest opportunity for organic?

What is holding us back?

Who or what do you look to for inspiration, and why?

What fuels you? What are your passions outside work and study?

Three Congressional Champions of Organic Announce Retirement

A legacy like no other

Punching above your weight

Defender of Family Farms

A new generation of leaders

Longtime Leaders Join Team Organic at USDA

INTRODUCTIONS

ORGANIC BY THE NUMBERS

GROWING ORGANIC

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

THE FUTURE OF ORGANIC

Organic Trade Association Awards Recognize Inspiring Leaders

Daniella Velazquez de Leon

General Manager, Organics Unlimited

Johanna Phillips

Technical Director, Ecocert USA